Trail Trax

The Trax on the Trail team searches the Internet for campaign music in its many iterations and catalogues it in the Trail Trax database. Our database allows you to research the music strategy of a particular candidate, create a snapshot of the soundscape on a given day, examine the evolution of the soundscape over the course of the election, or even create a catalogue of sounds heard in a particular city. Confused as to how Trax terminology works? Click on the "Database Key" to the right, or feel free to email us at traxonthetrail@gmail.com. You can also check out the Trail Trax poster we created for the 2016 American Musicological Society Conference.

Database Key

advertisement – An informational audio or video segment designed to sell a candidate; usually financed by the candidate, party, or a PAC (political action committee). Advertisements may sing the praises of a candidate or denigrate his competitor(s). Radio, television, and internet advertisements typically make use of instrumental underscore.

attack video – A video intended to disparage a candidate. These videos, created by citizens, typically feature remixed footage set to newly composed music.

Ex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWEtlyDRPaI

Spotify playlist –

A playlist created by a candidate and shared with the public via the musicstreaming platform Spotify. These lists may be the candidate’s personal music choices or compilations of music that they use at live events. Ex: https://play.spotify.com/user/hillaryclinton/playlist/43JJ50RsHoyUXj8eI8FaPQ

A candidate- or campaign-themed playlist created by a citizen, often under the guise of “suggesting” music for a candidate. These playlists may also be a musical tribute to a candidate, or a thinly veiled attack on his/her character. Ex: https://open.spotify.com/user/lynnguist/playlist/67lQ0i0uePEbCwb9PuAXhp

candidate video – Videos generated by the official campaign; usually posted on the candidate’s social media or webpage. Candidate videos typically feature underscore, but on occasio include preexisting or newly composed songs.

dub – A remixed version of a candidate’s speeches used as the foundation for a new musical composition.

Ex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5n7FbQ5I2U

impromptu chant – Moments at live campaign events where citizens musicalize the candidate’s name or voice support for a concept. Collective rhythm is key here.

mashup – A mashup combines material from two or more existing audiovisual sources and reworks it into a new composition.

Ex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbftXgmDRa8

mock or parody advertisement – Video segments created by citizens, often on websites like CollegeHumor or YouTube. Mock advertisements typically mimic the aural and visual rhetoric of their official counterparts.

newly composed song – A song created for a specific candidate, usually with a candidate-specific text. These may be solicited or unsolicited by the candidate.

Ex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi1VbF8O4MA

parody song – A song that features a preexisting tune set to a candidate-specific text. These can be created by candidate campaign teams or citizens.

Ex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrEmQk3u88U

Ex: https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/656248787459960836

preexisting song – An unaltered popular song already known to the public that is used in various campaign contexts, typically rallies, conventions, and campaign stops.

Ex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apjNfkysjbM

tribute video – A video intended to valorize a candidate; tribute videos typically feature remixed footage set to preexisting music. These videos are created by citizens.

Ex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rUgLxOAao0

underscore – Background music, usually instrumental. Underscore is typically used in advertisements and candidate videos.